CHUCK BANDEL
Valley Press
Recent Stories
Plains boys and girls split games with Darby, Two Eagle River
Two teams, four games, two wins, two losses.
COLUMN: Big league payday
In the future, archaeologists sifting through the rubble of a past civilization may stumble on a curious place of worship.
Blue Hawks top Salmon, Idaho for first win
When you’ve had an encounter with a group of Wildcats that didn’t come out like you hoped, what could be better than smoking some salmon?
Lady Hawks go 1-1 at round-robin tourney
It was a mixed bag of results for the Thompson Falls girls basketball team during a round robin tournament in Anaconda/Deer Lodge this past weekend.
Plains, Hot Springs girls roll at Tip-Off Tourney
I’m dreaming of some threes for Christmas. Like the ones my team can drain. Where the gym walls rattle, and outside the cattle, think we humans must have gone insane.
Thompson Falls wrestlers bring back strong core
A good core of returnees, including a defending state champion, are fueling optimism on the Thompson Falls campus as the Blue Hawks wrestlers kick off the 2023-24 season.
COLUMN: Life of a referee
Let me be perfectly clear about this (lots of politicians use that phrase these days), I’m a fan of referees — for the most part.
Blue Hawk's Hanks earns All-State nod
The picks are in for the 2023 Western B Football All-Conference teams, and to no one’s surprise, Thompson Falls’ massive down lineman Hayden Hanks brought home the most hardware.
Grapplers begin season at Owen Invite
Perhaps nowhere is it more appreciated to be competing against non-teammate opponents than the conclusion of preseason training among high school wrestlers.
Five seniors to lead Trotters girls basketball
There is a quiet sense of optimism pervading the Plains High gym these days as the Trotters prepare for the upcoming girls basketball season.
Plains boys enter basketball season with high expectations
No doubt about the cyclical nature of high school sports, especially in small towns.
Plains locals brave snowy Turkey Trot
It has, over the years, become a Thanksgiving tradition.
COLUMN: Turkey games
So, just how intertwined are sports in the American experience?
Plains teacher bags massive bighorn
For 30 years, Mike Tatum has been waiting for the chance.
Locals earn All-State volleyball honors
The votes are in and the outcomes are mostly what was expected.
COLUMN: Eating crow
I’m sure of only one thing….it tastes really sour and I haven’t had a bite yet.
Sources: Alberton won't field girls basketball team
It was, in the end, a matter of numbers.
Superior Bobcats ramp up for hoops season
As is often the case given the cyclical nature of high school athletics, rosters change yearly, sometimes in a major way that launches a rebuilding effort.
Holiday season kicks off in Sanders County
The spirit of giving is alive and well in Sanders County.
Underclassmen step up for Blue Hawks basketball
The changing of the guard continues in Thompson Falls.
Football recap: Local teams post memorable seasons
Of all the high school varsity sports played, perhaps none is more impacted by chance happenings throughout the season than football. Even the bounce of the double-pointed ball during a game can change the course of play up and down the various leagues
Volleyball recap: Rebuilding year for area spikers
It was not a banner year for Sanders and Mineral County high school volleyball teams this fall. But there were some very promising signs of better times ahead as the 2023 season came to an end last week.
COLUMN: Stakes are high for Brawl of the Wild
Let the zaniness begin! Make that outrageous bet as you search through the drawer for your favorite game day shirt.
Superior's Hunter Haskins wins saddle bronc at Kalispell rodeo
As Hunter Haskins explains it, he learned if he wanted to be a good saddle bronc rider, he had to ride a lot of broncs.
Hot Springs volleyball ousted at divisional tourney
After a late-season surge propelled them into the District 14C finals, which in turn sent them to the Western Division finals as the No. 2 seed volleyball team from the district, the Hot Springs Lady Heat ran into a buzzsaw in the form of teams waiting to take them on.
Superior Bobcats fall to Fort Benton, 44-30
For the first half of the game, it was as close as it gets. But in the second half, the third quarter to be precise, Fort Benton managed to pull away from Superior as the Longhorns kept their post-season Montana Class B football hopes alive with a 44-30 victory over the visiting Bobcats.
Hot Springs nipped in 6-man playoff loss
A couple years ago, another McAllister used to be called “rodeo tough” McAllister for his strong play and ability to mix it up.
COLUMN: A fall sports season to remember
And just like that, seemingly in the blink of an eye, the local high school fall sports season has come to an end.
Thompson Falls tops Plains in Western B volleyball rematch
The meeting between Plains and Thompson Falls in the Western B Divisional volleyball tournament was actually their fourth meeting of the season, with T Falls ahead 2-1 in games played prior to that.
St. Regis-Mullan finish football season 8-2
Another good season is in the books for the St. Regis-Mullan, Idaho co-op football Tigers.
Superior opens playoffs with convincing win at Forsyth
If you could choose a time to peak in the world of sports, as in reach the peak, not take a peek, just before playoff time would be a great time.
Savage Heat top Valier in playoff game
It was a good day to be a Hot Springs sports fan.
Red Lodge ends Thompson Falls' season with shutout
Top seed Red Lodge showed why they are a prime contender for a state title in Class B-11 player football with a convincing 42-0 win over Thompson Falls Saturday in Red Lodge.
COLUMN: Intestinal fortitude at 14C tourney
Intestinal fortitude, otherwise known as courage and stamina, among other definitions as outlined in Webster’s Dictionary, were on full display this past week in Hot Springs.
Hot Springs takes second at district volleyball
In the end, after eight grueling hours of volleyball in one day, one team walked away with the No. 1 seed in this coming week’s Divisional tournament at Manhattan Christian High School in Churchill, MT, just outside of Manhattan.
Bobcats playoff bound after win over Mission.
Revenge, it is said, is a dish best served cold.
Plains girls claim sixth at state XC meet
If you are a coach at either of Sanders County’s two cross country schools, you may spend some of the next few months shopping for sunglasses.
Postseason begins for football and volleyball
It’s that time of year, as the beginning of the Montana High School Association state playoffs in volleyball and football, get under way this weekend at sites throughout Big Sky Country.
Horsemen cap season with rout over Darby
In what turned out to be a welcome change of fortune following two years of winless football, the Plains Horsemen put a thick layer of icing on the victory cake with a resounding 77-26 road win over Darby Thursday afternoon.
Noxon volleyball sweeps Two Eagle River
It was a split-decision kind of week for the Noxon volleyball team.
Lady Hawks No. 2 seed in 7B tournament
After sampling both ends of the Western 7B regular season standings, Thompson Falls got a good taste of what is to come this coming Friday and Saturday as the regular volleyball season came to an end and the playoffs are next on the menu.
Noxon volleyball sweeps Two Eagle River
It was a split-decision kind of week for the Noxon volleyball team.
Co-op Tigers cap regular season with 7-1 record
If you combine one group of Tigers with another group of Tigers, what do you get?
Thompson Falls Hawks make football playoffs
Just two years ago, a Montana championship banner was awarded to Thompson Falls for winning the state B-8 football title.
COLUMN: Class and decency on display
If you didn’t pick up a program/flyer when you walked into the football field area at Noxon High School Thursday, you may have been really confused.
Lady Panthers split volleyball matches
For a team with no seniors, this has been a season of solid improvement and hope for the future.
Plains volleyball enters playoffs on hot streak
Winning two of the last three regular season games, and seven of the last nine is not a bad way to finish the regular season volleyball schedule.
Horsemen take loss to top-rated Charlo
They are, as one might expect, big and strong. They have a propensity for being fast and striking quickly. They are Vikings.
Florence-Carlton tops Hawks in Western B battle
Unbeaten Florence-Carlton proved to be an unwelcome guest Friday night in Thompson Falls as they downed the home town Blue Hawks 43-12 in a Western B 11-player football game.
Savage Heat crush Twin Bridges, 51-8
Add to the list of six-player football teams to watch in the rapidly approaching Montana high school playoffs, as usual, the Hot Springs Savage Heat.